FIFA World Cup 2026: “Spoke to whole team,” England coach Thomas Tuch…

Georgia [US], July 15 (ANI): England manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that he held a meeting with his players to address the fallout from their quarterfinal victory over Norway and ensure the squad was fully focused ahead of the FIFA World Cup semifinal against Argentina, according to The Athletic. fish-roadgame.online

England’s 2-1 win over Norway in Miami was followed by scrutiny over Tuchel’s public criticism of the team’s performance and Jude Bellingham’s response. Ahead of Wednesday’s semifinal, the England boss said he wanted to put the controversy behind the team and shift their attention entirely to the challenge posed by Argentina.

Tuchel was keen before the semifinal to emphasise that he had “no problem" with Bellingham’s post-match comments, and to say that he and Bellingham see things in the same way.

“I think we come from the same place," Tuchel said, as quoted by The Athletic. “Our comments come from the same place from being competitive and having the edge when competition is on."

“I spoke to the whole team, we debriefed," Tuchel said. “I spoke to the whole team after in the dressing room, which was basically the same message."

Tuchel said he asked his players to put the controversy surrounding their FIFA World Cup quarterfinal win over Norway behind them and focus fully on Wednesday’s semifinal against defending champions Argentina.

“I explained it again on Sunday evening to just move on forward," Tuchel said, as quoted by The Athletic. “And then we straight away in the talk put on a new direction, put on a new head: which is the semi-final and Argentina."

Tuchel put Bellingham’s comments in the context of his physical exhaustion and reiterated the positive aspects of his post-match messaging.

“(Bellingham) was just confronted with the negative side, often with a critique of my side," Tuchel said of the midfielder’s post-match comments. “I called him a world-class player, I said he had world-class actions again to decide the match. I said the mentality is outstanding of this team. All of that was not part of the question. I get it."

Tuchel praised Argentina’s resilience and emotional approach ahead of their FIFA World Cup semifinal clash, describing the defending champions as a team with a special “edge" but insisting his side is prepared for the challenge.

“They have this kind of edge," Tuchel said.

“You can sense it when they’re going a goal down, and when matches are tight. They’re a tough team to beat," he added.

The England boss highlighted the continuity within the Argentina squad, noting that much of the group has remained together since their 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph.

“They’re almost the same group as four years ago. You can see the cohesion, you can see the sacrifice that they put into it. They don’t panic when they’re behind. They believe in their style. And their style is a very emotional style. It was in Qatar, and it is now," Tuchel said.

He also acknowledged the motivation Argentina draw from their footballing history but backed England’s mentality to match the challenge.

“And of course, they are fuelled by history; it means a lot to them. But we are also emotional; we have the grit, we have the mentality that it takes to go up against it. And we are ready for it," Tuchel added.

England will face defending champions Argentina in the second FIFA World Cup semifinal, with the winners set to meet Spain in the final after La Roja defeated France 2-0 in the first semifinal. (ANI)

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Lausanne [Switzerland], July 15 (ANI): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has received a complaint seeking an investigation into FIFA president Gianni Infantino over alleged breaches of political neutrality, including his reported role in the reversal of United States striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension during the FIFA World Cup 2026, reported Reuters.

The complaint, filed by advocacy group FairSquare, alleges that Infantino violated the IOC’s rules on political neutrality through multiple actions linked to US President Donald Trump. Among the key issues raised is the suspension of Balogun’s automatic one-match ban, which allowed the forward to feature in the United States’ Round of 16 clash against Belgium on July 6.

Balogun had been shown a straight red card in the 64th minute of the USA’s Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic. Under FIFA regulations, the suspension was automatic and not subject to appeal.

However, on July 5, FIFA announced on its website: “By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year." No further explanation accompanied the decision.

Infantino acknowledged receiving a phone call from President Trump, who had publicly urged FIFA to review the incident, but denied influencing the outcome.

Trump defended his intervention, saying, “All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul."

He added, “And, you know, again, I’m good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled."

Praising FIFA’s decision, Trump further said, “I think they made a really brilliant decision. I think the referee’s call was horrible, and nobody talks about that. They talk about the red card like it’s fine, nobody talks about the referee’s decision to red card," as per Reuters.

Balogun ultimately played against Belgium as the United States were eliminated 4-1 from the tournament.

Responding to questions over the controversy, Infantino maintained that FIFA’s judicial bodies function independently.

“Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected," a statement issued on his behalf and published on FIFA’s website read.

FairSquare’s complaint argues that Infantino, who has also served as an IOC member since 2020, is bound by the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics, which require strict political neutrality.

The organisation said in a statement: “As outlined in the FairSquare complaint, there is compelling evidence that Infantino has committed five clear breaches of IOC rules on political neutrality through statements or other clear expressions of support for the US President."

Apart from the Balogun case, the complaint also cites Infantino’s endorsement of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize; public appearances connected to Trump’s presidential inauguration; the presentation of FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize to Trump, and the promotion of a FIFA World Cup fan platform that FairSquare claims was linked to a data-harvesting campaign associated with the US President.

FairSquare had previously lodged a complaint with FIFA’s Ethics Committee in December. That complaint was backed by the Norwegian Football Federation and later supported by 50 members of the European Parliament through a separate submission in June.

Neither the IOC nor FIFA has publicly commented on the latest complaint. (ANI)

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Spain has defeated France 2-0 in the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to enter its second-ever final in tournament history. They also denied the French their third straight World Cup final appearance.

The France vs Spain match was the first semifinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The formidable match saw the top two-ranked men’s international football teams. Spain was one of the favourites to win it all even before the tournament started, as they came in as the defending European champions.

On the other hand, France was, for many, the outright favourite to win it all. They had made it to the final in the last two World Cups, winning in 2018 and losing on penalties in 2022. Plus, they also had the best squad on paper in this competition.

What Happened In The France vs Spain Semifinal?

Right from the start of this match, one thing became clear: Spain was not going to let France railroad them into scoring goals. Les Blues have dominated each team they have played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far with flashing play and individual brilliance; the Spaniards were not going to allow that.

In the 16th minute, Kylian Mbappe tried to do what he had done time and again in this tournament, to breeze past the defence and score a brace. But the tight defensive lines of La Roja shut that down before the move became a real threat.

In the 20th minute, French left-back Lucas Digne, in an act of absent-mindedness, looked to clear the ball that was six feet in the air. Instead, he kicked the rushing Lamine Yamal on the thigh inside the box – a penalty. The spot kick was converted beautifully by Mikel Oyarzabal, 1-0 Spain.

For the next 15 minutes or so, while Spain looked comfortable, France was struggling to get into space and make good chances. For the next 15 minutes or so, no team took any decent shots. Instead, the two sides settled on taking low-percentage shots from outside the box or falling into the offside trap.

Half an hour into the match, French defender William Saliba’s long season with Arsenal finally caught up to him, as he collapsed onto the field despite no contact. He was subbed off immediately.

In the 38th minute, a one-two play between Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal on the edge of the box saw Yamal find the ball in a wonderful area. He passed the ball to Fabián Ruiz in the six-yard box, who shot it just off the target.

The 42nd minute brought arguably the best play of the match, thanks to Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón. Adrien Rabiot found the ball near the midline and made a through pass to Kylian Mbappé. The French star now found himself behind the defensive line and chasing the ball.

Simón, as soon as the possession was lost, rushed towards the ball, which was barely into his third of the field, and cleared it before Mbappé could even take hold of the ball. And soon after that, the referee blew the whistle for half-time.

The second half commenced with Spain looking far better than France. While one side kept more possession and created chances, the other squandered opportunities before they became threatening. The Spanish were dominant in defence and in the midfield, not allowing the scary French frontline to create anything.

In the 58th minute, Pedro Porro passed the ball to Dani Olmo on the edge of the box and immediately made a run towards the goal. Olmo passed the ball back to Porro behind the defensive line with a one-touch pass.

The right-back now found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Mike Maignan and got the better of him, slotting the ball into the bottom corner. 2-0 Spain with just over half an hour to go.

France now needed some magic from their front line. Bradley Barcola was taken off at this point to bring in Désiré Doué. He would now form the frontline alongside Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, a frightening prospect for any defence, but the Spaniards were more than up for the challenge.

Yamal scored a brace in the 61st minute but was deemed offside. The difference between the two sides on the night was shown minutes later, when Mbappe found himself with the ball in the box. But his marker never let him get a shot off from a decent spot. The 27-year-old was instead forced to take a shot from a slim angle and obviously missed.

For the next 10 minutes, France created more chances and took more shots. But the firm Spanish backline ensured that none of the shots ever threatened Unai Simón.

Spain created a few more chances but never overcommitted, as they looked comfortable with their two-goal lead. The 2-0 scoreline often presents a fallacy to the winning team, as they become too comfortable and allow the chasing team to score. That did not happen today.

As the clock ticked down, France grew more desperate, but that was to no avail. And when Mbappé missed a direct free-kick from the edge of the box, the death knell tolled for France, as their dreams of lifting the World Cup again were dashed.

Spain controlled the game in the stoppage time. And as the referee blew his whistle for full time, the entire team rushed onto the pitch to celebrate only the second World Cup final appearance of their nation.

With a win in this France vs Spain match, the Iberian nation now awaits the winner of semifinal 2 between England and Argentina in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Tons of patience mixed with the right amount of aggression was the key to the Indian women’s cricket team’s epic Test win over England at Lord’s on Monday, said chief coach Amol Muzumdar as he lauded centurion Yastika Bhatia for her ‘special knock’ and pacer Kranti Gaud for her ‘controlled line and length.’

Gaud’s seven-wicket match haul (5-37, 2-54) and Bhatia’s second-innings 113 played a big role in India’s historic 270-run win over England in the first ever women’s Test played at the iconic venue.

“Yeah, you can say that it was the perfect game. We batted well, we bowled extremely well and we fielded even better, it was a good game for us,” Muzumdar said during the press-conference.

“I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint one particular thing ... I think we were disciplined in our approach towards batting and bowling, sticking to the basics of cricket. Aggression mixed with patience, I think that was a key factor for this win,” he added.

Muzumdar showered praise on Bhatia’s resilience after a few injury-ridden years. “It was a special knock from Bhatia. One which she and all the team members would remember [for years]. I was really impressed with the way she has bounced back from her injuries,” said Majumdar, while also praising star bowler Gaud’s ‘superb line and length’ with the ball.

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No. of wins for India in five Tests during Amol Muzumdar’s coaching tenure

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Madrid [Spain], July 15 (ANI): Spain’s Royal Family on Tuesday congratulated the national football team after its commanding 2-0 victory over France in the first semifinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026, taking them to their second final in World Cup history, saying that the result once again demonstrated why La Roja is regarded as one of the world’s great teams.

In a post on X, the official account of the Spanish Royal Family and the Household of King Felipe VI praised the team’s performance and wished them success ahead of the World Cup Final.

“Spain is in the final! You’ve once again proven why you’re one of the world’s great teams. Now, with an entire country by your side, the moment has come to fight for the title. Thank you for making us enjoy this journey. Go for it, @SEFutbol!" the official account of the Spanish Royal Family and the Household of King Felipe VI said.

This follows after the Spanish side produced a clinical display on the pitch to defeat the Les Bleus at Dallas Stadium, combining resolute defending with clinical finishing, which they lacked in earlier games, to secure a place in the final.

Forward Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a serious challenge by Frenchmen Lucas Digne on Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal, while fullback Pedro Porro added a second to seal Spain’s victory following a brilliant through-ball flick by midfielder Dani Olmo, finishing confidently into the bottom corner.

Porro was named Player of the Match for his impressive performance. The result sends Spain into the World Cup final, where they will meet either England or Argentina at New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

Spain’s only previous appearance in a World Cup final ended in triumph when Andres Iniesta scored the winner against the Netherlands in 2010 in extra time in South Africa.

Oyarzabal continued his rich vein of form, taking his tally to 18 goals in his last 20 appearances for Spain.

His penalty also made him just the sixth player to score 30 international goals for the national team, joining legends like David Villa (59), Raul (44), Fernando Torres (38), Alvaro Morata (37) and David Silva (35).

France entered the contest as slight favourites and threatened early through Kylian Mbappe, but Spain struck first after Lamine Yamal won a penalty.

Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot beyond goalkeeper Mike Maignan. France attempted to fight back by introducing Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki, but Spain managed the momentum and pace of the game, giving France no window for scoring.

Spanish Goalkeeper Unai Simon made important interventions, while defender Marc Cucurella produced a crucial tackle to deny Mbappe.

The final whistle sparked celebrations among the Spanish players, while France were left to settle for a third-place playoff on Saturday, where Mbappe will have another opportunity to add to his goal tally in the race for the Golden Boot. (ANI)

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